Wednesday, 25 September 2013

One of our male Humboldt Penguins called Squirt has recently been undergoing some treatment for a callus that has developed on his feet.Yesterday he visited the vet for a check up and is now sporting a very special set of penguin shoes! These will allow his feet to rest and will also make him more comfortable.To make sure that he keeps his feet dry, he has temporarily been moved to an off show enclosure along with his partner called Biscuit.Biscuit and Squirt are favourites amongst the keepers- Squirt for his friendly nature and Biscuit for her cheeky and very greedy character!Both penguins like to follow the keepers around the enclosure and are kept busy investigating their temporary new home!

Friday, 20 September 2013

Last week we were joined for the day by one of our most regular visitors Al who enjoyed his 4th ‘Keeper for the day experience’! Al has been visiting the Park for a number of years and due to his visual impairment is often accompanied by his chatty carer Tim.

Over the years Tim has in fact become a very familiar face to the Keepers and the Animals as he visits the Park almost every Wednesday with Danielle, also a very bubbly and chatty lady who Tim cares for. Danielle has visited the Park so many times she now knows all the answers to all the questions the Keepers ask, particularly when it comes to the Meerkats!

It is obvious what a great job Tim does in making sure Al and Danielle have a great day, despite the fact he comes away with another scar or bruise every time he visits, from the Animals that is!

All the Keepers look forward to the trio visiting the Park as they share their stories and antics and you can be assured they always put a smile on everyone’s face!

We hope to see Al next year for another Keeper for a day experience and no doubt we will see Tim and Danielle on Wednesday!

Tuesday, 17 September 2013

“ By far the best “
“ We nearly passed this place by, we are delighted we didn’t. Well worth the entrance fee”
“ Wonderful experience – we live on the Island. Came years ago still as good! “ Yet another lovely day here. It has changed a bit in a year but for the better ( didn’t realise it could get any better!). As always ALL your staff are just so lovely! Thank you and see you next year ! xx “
“ We had a fantastic day, so beautiful. Feeding the ducks was the high light of my daughters day, keep up the good work”
“ Second visit to Seaview Wildlife. Brilliant fun, loved feeding the ducks, geese and penguins. Great place to visit even for people with no children and who appreciate wildlife. Thanks “

“ This is our second visit and still as lovely as the first despite the rain. Nothing else like it in the UK – delightful fun for the whole family”

Thursday, 5 September 2013

Millie is one of our eldest adult Penguins here at the park. She is the last in our colony to moult her feathers this year. Millie is a very cute and adorable penguin and is one of the smallest in our group. We have been feeding Millie lots of extra sprats this week to encourage her to finish moulting. Here is a photo taken of her earlier, not looking her best I must say!

Soon she will have her stunning black and white beautiful feathers through, like Dippy who is looking rather dashing at the moment.

Why not come and meet our gorgeous penguins, or book a special up close and personal encounter with them. For more details please click on the link below.

Each summer the team at the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust run a series of surveys called Shoresearch, which aim to record and study the marine life of our local shores.Some of the keepers here at the park like to get involved in the project and help to run the surveys.Shoresearch not only helps to increase our overall knowledge and understanding of our local marine environment but also helps to identify and monitor changes that may affect the marine life e.g. climate change, invasive species and local developments.The surveys are carried out at low tide with the aid of transects and quadrats the diversity, range and quantity of marine ecology identified is recorded down through record sheets, GPS and photographs. The sites studied provide a range of habitats, including rocky outcrops, shingle and gravel, sand and mudflats as well as some man-made structures.Volunteers from the local area are encouraged to get involved, as educational outreach is also a key part of the Shoresearch Project.Equipment and training is provided, with volunteers working in groups led by the Wildlife Trust Marine Officer and Volunteer Coordinator.

PANACHEThis year saw the introduction of new survey methods, advised by the PANACHE (Protected Area Network Across the Channel Ecosystem) project.This project aims to improve the protection and management of the marine environment through the development of a more coherent approach for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Channel Area.2013 SeasonA total of eleven sites including five on the island were surveyed throughout this season. The island sites were Ryde, St Helens, Freshwater, Colwell Bay and Thorness Bay. Chosen for their diversity not only in species but also habitat, these sites made for some interesting discoveries.A wide range of species were identified including over 30 species of seaweed and 30 different species of invertebrate.The data collected from the surveys will be analysed and used to assess the current health and state of the marine ecology and environment.Comparisons can be made using the information from the surveys from previous years to monitor any changes that may have taken place.More information on the Shoresearch project can be found on the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust website:http://www.hiwwt.org.uk/pages/shoresearch.html

Tuesday, 3 September 2013

Dear All the Keepers of Seaview Wildlife EncounterI would like to say a massive thank you for the amazing chance to have my two weeks of work experience at the park, I have definitely come away with a clear idea of what working as a keeper would be like and what you have to deal with on a daily bases. I did not particularly have a favourite section of the park but rather I found that I fell in love with a few individuals like the cute wallaby Jacob, the mischievous Turaco Damien and definitely the Otter trio. I would like to say thank you to everyone for how nice you were and thank you for making it an enjoyable and enlightening experience. You guys all made me laugh when I was there and made me feel welcome and part of the team, also thank you Holly for the overwhelming chocolatey rocky road it was awesome and for making every time I worked with you enjoyable and funny, thank you Charlotte for teaching me about the penguins along with many other things (also it was nice to talk to a fellow photography enthusiast) and again thank you to everyone for being funny and welcoming to me. I just also want to say good luck to Lucy in becoming a Vet I bet you'll be an awesome one and good luck Becky I hope you get into your college and succeed in the future.Thank youJoshua Simmonds